ALBUM REVIEW: Kröflueldar – Altari

ALTARI hail proudly from Iceland and their music is as ice cold as the stunning landscapes of their home country but also as fiery and unpredictable as the volcanoes which scatter the land. The band fuse menacing black metal coldness with a blazing progressive metal flourish to create music that is as bleak as it is raging but is also forward thinking throughout. Their debut album Kröflueldar is an encapsulation of these ideals.

A tense, atmospheric and almost jazz intro kicks the album off as the title track opens proceedings with some very commanding vocals taking hold almost immediately to signal the aural journey that you are about to take. The somewhat cinematic Djáknahrollur follows quickly and adds a bit more variety with a sound that is both sickeningly heavy but with anthemic melody to balance things out; add in a deranged surf guitar riff and you’ve got a recipe for an intense musical ride. The menacing black metal of Leðurblökufjandinn quickly follows and in the space of three songs the band have shown so many ideas being implemented – and all implemented well – which is something that is to be both admired and drawn in by.

There is a definite variance of styles all executed with precision on Kröflueldar and this is clearly evident as the album goes on, with the listener never knowing what is going to happen next, although one thing is for certain which is that it is going to be both stirring and impressive. Take the juxtaposition of the the next two tracks in the sublime Sýrulúður with its macabre but ethereal vocals and the following track Hin Eina Sanna which amps up those black metal growls; though very different, both of these vocal stylings contain that ALTARI vibe throughout and as such you can’t help but be taken in with all that is going on.

There is also a very hypnotic nature to the music of ALTARI despite all that is happening on this record, and this is at the true heart of Kröflueldar, with the music just coming on in an all-consuming and constant nature in the best way possible. The album ends with the progressive brutality of Vítisvilltur (which is black metal through and through but still in a totally different style to what has come before it) and the triumphant cry of Grafarþögn, a track which ends this record perfectly with a pretty bleak picture painted musically, which again is a perfect vehicle for ALTARI and this album.

ALTARI‘s forward thinking music is impressive and even if you think you know what is going to happen next with their songs, they will have something different to hit you with. That is the power of this band and the music of Kröflueldar, an album which casts you into the bleakest depths but does so in the most exquisite fashion.

Rating: 8/10

Kröflueldar is out now via Svart Records.

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